Technology
Google hit with $1 billion fine for breaking EU antitrust rules
The European Union has fined Google's parent company Alphabet €890 million (about $1 billion) for two separate violations of the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA). One penalty is for giving its own products preferential treatment in search results, while the other is for blocking Android developers from sending users to alternate payment options. A €460 million fine has been issued to Google for giving preferential treatment to its own Shopping, Hotels, and Flights services in...
China’s new chip stores data with a single electron, breaking AI memory bottleneck
How many electrons does it take to store a single bit of information? For today’s most advanced dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips from Samsung and SK Hynix, the answer is roughly 200,000. That is the price of reliability – a vast reservoir of charge needed to ensure a “1” or “0” does not fade into noise.
Breaking: Origin Energy confirms breach of customer data
Origin Energy confirms unauthorised access and disclosure of customer data Thu 23 Jul 2026 at 3:49pm , updatedThu 23 Jul 2026 at 3:58pm Energy company Origin has confirmed there has been unauthorised access to and disclosure of some customers' data. In a statement released via the ASX, the company said it was still working to understand the total number of affected customers and would contact any customers when it had confirmation. The company confirmed yesterday it was investigating a...
Breaking: Origin Energy investigating 'potential' customer data breach
Origin Energy investigating 'potential' customer data breach Posted Wed 22 Jul 2026 at 1:07pm , updatedWed 22 Jul 2026 at 1:11pm Origin Energy says it is investigating a security breach that "may have" affected customer data. "We do not believe the impacted data includes customer credit card or bank details," it said in a statement.
Waitrose urgent product recall as treats could contain metal and hard plastic
Waitrose urgent product recall as treats could contain metal and hard plastic Waitrose says a batch of one of its chocolate chip products could be unsafe to eat and have told people to return them for a refund Waitrose has issued a "do not eat" warning over fears that a batch of one of it's products could contain dangerous hard plastic and metal. The supermarket giant issued the warning about its Waitrose & Partners 8 Chocolate Chip Brioche Rolls with batch code B26177 and best before date...
Judge approves Anthropic's record-breaking $1.5 billion settlement for AI copyright lawsuit
Judge approves Anthropic's record-breaking $1.5 billion settlement for AI copyright lawsuit Writers sued Anthropic in 2024 for using pirated copies of their work to train Claude. Anthropic's record-breaking $1.5 billion settlement for an AI copyright lawsuit filed by writers has been approved by a federal judge in San Francisco. The company was sued by a group of authors in 2024, who accused Anthropic of using pirated copies of their work to train its Claude large language models.
Alphabet stock pops on report it's developing a more efficient AI chip
Alphabet shares climbed 3% on Monday after The Information reported the company is developing a new server chip, internally dubbed "Frozen v2," designed to run Gemini models more efficiently. The chip would permanently embed parts of Gemini's architecture directly into the silicon, reducing the number of calculations and amount of data movement required to answer queries, according to the news outlet. Google engineers project it could serve between six and ten times more tokens per unit of...
Avengers: Doomsday’s first trailer puts everyone on high alert
After months of teasing us with reminders about how large Avengers: Doomsday's cast is going to be, Marvel has finally released a proper trailer for the film. Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom definitely appears to be causing a lot of the chaos in Doomsday's first trailer, the movie seems like it's going to feature more than a few moments where different teams of heroes fight one another. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) seems to be the only person who understands that the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the...
Chinese President Xi Jinping wants emergency response systems to keep AI in check
ASIA IN BRIEF Chinese President Xi Jinping has delivered a major speech on AI, which he thinks has enormous potential – for good and evil. Xi’s speech called for AI development to “adhere to the principle of openness.” “As a new engine of world economic growth and an accelerator for the shift of growth drivers, AI is moving from the digital world into the physical world.
Amazon’s Zoox recalls self-driving vehicles amid emergency response issues
Amazon’s Zoox recalls self-driving vehicles amid emergency response issues The recall is the latest development in a series of reports of autonomous vehicles impeding emergency response efforts. The Amazon subsidiary company Zoox has said that it will recall its fleet of 105 autonomous vehicles in the United States. The technology company announced the recall on Friday due to mounting concerns that the vehicles may not detect heavy smoke and could impede emergency personnel.
Essential Gear for an Emergency Kit—for Cars or Go-Bags
You never know when you're going to have to bug out on short notice. The politics of the moment are less than predictable. Wildfire season is off to a rollicking start in 2026, as fires dot the Western US and smoke blows from Canada across the Midwest and Northeast.
New Sky alert as emails sent out to customers about 'security' and steps to take
New Sky alert as emails sent out to customers about 'security' and steps to take Customers are being sent emails that explain everything they need to be aware of Sky is sending emails out to customers with a message about 'security'. In the UK, Sky serves more than 25 million people, about 36% of all households. Sky Broadband boasts nearly 5.8 million active users and employs around 20,000 people across the UK.
Martin Lewis 'iPhone' and 'Amazon' alert as he admits 'I nearly got caught'
Martin Lewis 'iPhone' and 'Amazon' alert as he admits 'I nearly got caught' The MoneySavingExpert founder said he will 'have to cope' with the consequences Martin Lewis has spoken out, claiming that "anyone can be caught" in a new alert her issued today (July 16). The ITV broadcaster, known for highlighting warning signs of potential scams, has admitted that he was almost tricked by someone claiming to be from Amazon in a moment when he was distracted. Posting on his social media accounts...
Instagram to alert parents if teens ask AI chatbot about suicide or self-harm
Re: Keeping Parents Informed if Teens Show Signs of Distress in Conversations With Meta AI.
Breaking: Telstra users report mobile network has crashed across Australia
Telstra customers across Australia are reporting the provider's mobile network has crashed, leaving thousands without the ability to make phone calls or access the internet. Outage detection site Downdetector.com shows a large spike in reports beginning shortly before 6am AEST. Telstra has been contacted for comment.
#Breaking: UK court dismisses Prince Harry and others' case against Daily Mail
Prince Harry, Elton John and others lose privacy lawsuits against the Daily Mail Tue 7 Jul 2026 at 11:18pm Prince Harry has lost his privacy case against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail which he had alleged of widespread unlawful behaviour. The Duke of Sussex, 41, and six other claimants, including singer Elton John and actors Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, had accused the company of violating their privacy from the early 1990s until the 2010s.
Reuters: DeepSeek is developing its own AI chips
DeepSeek is developing its own AI chips It is reportedly hiring engineers and speaking to manufacturers. DeepSeek, the Chinese AI company which sometimes keeps tech executives awake at night, is reportedly looking to build its own silicon. Reuters' (via USNews) sources suggest DeepSeek is looking to build a chip for inference, which is the process of running a model that has already been trained and built.
Chinese AI Startup DeepSeek Developing Own AI Chip, Report Says
Chinese AI Startup DeepSeek Developing Own AI Chip, Report Says China’s DeepSeek is developing its own chip to help power artificial intelligence systems, Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources. The chip is designed for inference — the stage in AI when models are trained and begin generating responses to users’ queries — rather than for building new models themselves, Reuters reported on Tuesday. DeepSeek didn’t respond to a request for comment on the report.
China's DeepSeek developing its own AI chip, sources say
China's DeepSeek developing its own AI chip, sources say If successful, DeepSeek's expansion into semiconductor development would mark a major strategic shift for a company widely hailed in China as the country's AI champion, potentially adding to challenges faced by Chinese tech giant Huawei. Chinese startup DeepSeek is developing its own AI chip, according to three people familiar with the matter, a push that could reduce its reliance on Nvidia and Huawei chips, which it has depended on to...
Heathrow Airport alert to passengers after rule change
Heathrow Airport alert to passengers after rule change Heathrow Airport has issued a reminder to travellers A major UK airport has issued a reminder to travellers ahead of what is anticipated to be an exceptionally busy summer period for international travel. Hundreds of thousands of people transit through Heathrow Airport daily, and a message on the airport's official X account is encouraging those with upcoming trips to "just remember". The social media post reads: "With over 100 touchless...
Mr. Lif’s Emergency Rations EP is post-9/11 hip hop at its most daring
First, you drop bombs, then you send aid. | Image: Definitive Jux There was a period in the early aughts when Definitive Jux (nee: Def Jux) seemed like it was going to be the future of hip hop.
Emergency services called to 'skydiving incident' in Nottinghamshire
Emergency services called to 'skydiving incident' in Nottinghamshire Emergency services are responding to a 'skydiving incident' at Langar Airfield, home to Skydive Langar, in Nottinghamshire Emergency services have been called to a skydiving incident on Sunday afternoon. Nottinghamshire Police said officers were called to Langar Airfield - home to Skydive Langar - at 12.13pm on Sunday. A force spokesperson said officers were attending a "skydiving incident" and was unable to provide further...
Hi Mom text scam: How to spot fake emergency texts
A scam text showed up today that would make many parents stop cold. The message said:"Hi mom, text me here on my work phone. Dropped my actual phone in the sink earlier and it's completely unresponsive now.
NASA launched an emergency mission to stop the Swift Observatory from crashing to Earth
Engineers from Katalyst Space Technologies testing Link. | Image: NASA/Scott Wiessinger The Swift Observatory was launched in 2004, but recent solar storms have pushed its orbit lower, and it's in danger of burning up in Earth's atmosphere as soon as this year.
An American Privacy Emergency
An American privacy emergency: Guest post from Cynthia Dwork et al. Scott’s foreword: Cynthia Dwork is Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at Harvard, and a pioneer in the fields of differential privacy and algorithmic fairness. On my recent travels to the SigmaWest science camp and then STOC, there was much talk about a recent Trump administration action that would ban not only differential privacy, but essentially all modern techniques for preserving privacy in large datasets, for...
FDA issues most serious recall alert for potato chip brands over salmonella risk
An estimated 650,000 bags of potato chips are affected as US agency upgraded recall of several popular brandsThe US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has upgraded a recall of several popular brands of potato chips to its most serious level because of the risk of salmonella contamination. Manufacturer Utz issued a voluntary recall in May for varieties of its Zapp’s and Dirty potato chips products, citing the possible presence of salmonella in dry milk powder sourced from a third party used...
Emergency services swarm as light aircraft crashes in an Essex field
Emergency services swarm as light aircraft crashes in an Essex field Emergency crews and a team of experts from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch have been despatched to the site of a reported light aircraft crash in a field in near the Essex village of High Ongar Police and air crash investigators have been scrambled to the scene of a plane crash in Essex this afternoon. A field near the village of High Ongar in Essex has reportedly been cordoned off, with emergency services on the...
Breaking: ACCC sues Amazon over 'unfair' Prime streaming service
ACCC sues Amazon over alleged unfair contract terms on Prime streaming service Tue 30 Jun 2026 at 8:48am The consumer watchdog is suing Amazon over allegedly having unfair contract terms for its Prime streaming service. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) claims Amazon had more than one million Australian annual subscribers on Prime contracts with five unfair terms which allowed unilateral changes between November 2023 and August 2025. The lawsuit alleges one of those...
Bedbug warning puts summer travelers on alert as top U.S. hot spots are revealed
A new report ranks which U.S. cities and states appear to carry the highest risk for travelers encountering bedbugs. Bedbugs are small insects that feed on blood. They’re about the size of an apple seed, Zachary DeVries, associate professor of urban entomology at the University of Kentucky, told Fox News Digital.
Breaking: Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest warns Fortescue staff after sexual harassment class action
Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest warns Fortescue staff after class action alleges sexual assault Fri 26 Jun 2026 at 5:57pm Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest has issued a statement warning all staff at Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) after a class action alleging sexual harassment was filed against the company yesterday. In the class action, several women alleged they were raped, sexually assaulted and stalked at FMG remote mining sites. In an email sent to all staff, Mr Forrest said: "Anyone who thinks this...